I can honestly say if I were Barack Obama right about now, I would be firing advisers, speech writers and consultants, left and right.
I was one of the few conservatives that did not criticize Obama for using the death of Osama bin Laden as part of his reelection campaigning. My criticism was that he played that card too early in the campaign to hold any polling bounce he might have received from using it, into the November elections.
(See: Obama Spikes The bin Laden Football Too Early In Campaign)
Sure, grabbing the polling bounce could have been timed better, but it was closing in on the anniversary of bin Laden's death, so it was understandable and Obama would have been an incompetent fool to have not used the one accomplishment that happened during his term that had complete bipartisan support from almost all voters no matter their political affiliation.
At that point, it was a campaign positive. No downside except criticism from voters that weren't part of his base and would not be voting for him in November anyway.
Then something went very wrong for Obama.
Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen told Brian Williams in an interview, "Well, I worry about it, just because it's the political season. And from my perspective, the president's support, the decision that he made, and obviously, the result stand alone in terms of the kind of call presidents have to make and he made it. I do worry a great deal that this time of year that somehow this gets spun into election politics. I can assure you that those individuals who risk their lives--the last thing in the world that they want is to be spun into that. So I'm hoping that that doesn't happen."
Then Obama gave interviews, his campaign officials went on talk show rounds, his campaign team created a video questioning whether Mitt Romney would have given the go-ahead on the raid that led to bin Laden's death, and that campaign positive started turning into an ugly negative.
Far left liberals and Obama supporters, such as Arianna Huffington, called the accusation Obama leveled against Romney "despicable," (Video of her saying that at the link)
Navy SEALS started speaking up against Obama for using them as "ammunition" in his political campaigning.
Romney's response of "even Jimmy Carter would have given that order," became headline news.
Veteran CIA members are saying "No single tactic, technique or approach led to the successful operation against bin Laden," then continuing on to say "But those who suggest it was all a result of a fresh approach taken after Jan. 20, 2009, are mistaken."
This should have been a guaranteed winning point in Obama's reelection campaign.
Only Obama could have mismanaged the use of the death of Osama bin Laden so badly that he turned it from a guaranteed campaign positive into a campaign negative.